Clubland
Costello (Elvis) Lyrics


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With a handful of backhanders and a bevy of beauty
Going off-limits, going off duty
Going off the rails, going off with booty
They tell tales of fiction found on all the criminal types
Lead to a higher-ranking man or a face with thin red stripes

The boys next door
The mums and dads
New-weds and nearly-deads
Have you ever been had in clubland?
In clubland

There's a piece in someone's pocket to do the dirty work
You've come to shoot the pony, they've come to do the jerk
They leave him halfway to paradise, they leave you halfway to bliss
The ladies' invitation never seemed like this

The boys next door
The mums and dads
New-weds and nearly-deads
Have you ever been had in clubland?
In clubland

The long arm of the law slides up the outskirts of town
Meanwhile in clubland they are ready to pull them down
Hey

The right to work is traded in for the right to refuse admission
Don't pass out now, there's no refund, did you find out what you were missing?
The crowd is taking forty winks minus ten percent
You barely get required sleep to go lingering with contemptment
Thursday to Saturday
Money's gone already
Some things come in common these days
Your hands and work aren't steady

The boys next door
The mums and dads
New-weds and nearly-deads
Have you ever been had in clubland?
In clubland




In clubland
In clubland, he-e-y

Overall Meaning

The song “Clubland” by Elvis Costello appears to describe a night out in a dodgy nightclub or bar where anything goes. The lyrics suggest that people are going “off-limits” and “off-duty” and are getting caught up in a web of illicit activities. The lines “With a handful of backhanders and a bevy of beauty” suggest that there may be some form of bribery or corruption going on. The song also talks about the criminal element that may be present, with mention of “thin red stripes” and a “higher-ranking man”. The chorus of the song asks the question “Have you ever been had in clubland?”


Further, the lyrics talk about the hypocrisy of the revelers, where they pretend to be something they are not. The people are described as “the boys next door, the mums and dads, new-weds and nearly-deads”, which suggest that they are ordinary people leading double lives for a brief moment of pleasure. Then there are strange phrases like “You've come to shoot the pony, they've come to do the jerk”, which may suggest that there is a sense of revenge at play (shoot the pony) and people are acting selfishly without consideration of others (do the jerk). The song also touches on the theme of deception and disappointment that surrounds something that may seem so glamorous and attractive (Clubland).


Overall, Clubland seems to be a place where people indulge in their vices and allow their inhibitions to run wild. The song suggests that everyone could face a moment of weakness and be caught in Clubland at some point, despite their best intentions.


Line by Line Meaning

With a handful of backhanders and a bevy of beauty
With some bribes and a group of beautiful women


Going off-limits, going off duty
Ignoring the rules, putting aside responsibilities


Going off the rails, going off with booty
Losing control, leaving with illegal goods


They tell tales of fiction found on all the criminal types
Rumors circulate about criminal activity


Lead to a higher-ranking man or a face with thin red stripes
Suspicions fall on someone in a position of power


The boys next door
Ordinary people


The mums and dads
Parents


New-weds and nearly-deads
Newlyweds and elderly people


Have you ever been had in clubland?
Have you ever been taken advantage of while clubbing?


There's a piece in someone's pocket to do the dirty work
Someone is paid to do something illegal


You've come to shoot the pony, they've come to do the jerk
You came to party, they came to commit a crime


They leave him halfway to paradise, they leave you halfway to bliss
They leave their partner satisfied but you unfulfilled


The ladies' invitation never seemed like this
The women at the club seem different than expected


The long arm of the law slides up the outskirts of town
The police are closing in on the illegal activity


Meanwhile in clubland they are ready to pull them down
But in the club, they are ready to party and ignore the consequences


The right to work is traded in for the right to refuse admission
People choose to focus on clubbing over their jobs


Don't pass out now, there's no refund, did you find out what you were missing?
Don't get too drunk and waste your money, did you discover what makes the club so enticing?


The crowd is taking forty winks minus ten percent
The patrons are half-asleep and disconnected


You barely get required sleep to go lingering with contemptment
You barely sleep and are left feeling unsatisfied


Thursday to Saturday
The weekend


Money's gone already
People spend their money quickly


Some things come in common these days
Certain activities are becoming more common


Your hands and work aren't steady
You can't focus on your job due to clubbing


In clubland
At the club


In clubland, he-e-y
At the club




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ELVIS COSTELLO

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@yummyyum36719

@@patriciofernandez2711 My wife, who is a very fine operatic soprano of paint peeling Wagnerian amplitude, actually thinks that Elvis sings well for his style. She also likes Bowie. The understanding is that those voices have individual stamps that make them great for rock and pop music.
There are three things technically that that are "bad technique" hallmarks of Elvis' singing.
1. The glottal stroke.
Consider for example the famous opening two pitches of "Accidents Will Happen" on the words "Oh I" (C# and B on the album recording)
Both words are preceded by hard glottal attacks.
No vocal coach would ever suggest such a thing but it's an EC trademark. Elvis would not be "Elvis" without it.
2. The Nasality.
Elvis' natural range is that of a baritone. Something like "Watch Your Step" proves it. He is way too comfortable on those lower notes to be a tenor.
Yet British New Wave vocal lines are still influenced by classic rock styles, which for the most part call for higher tenors. Elvis used a nasality to hit higher pitches. He's singing a high A in chest voice here in his harmony lines for "In Clubland" but he aims the tone into his nose to get the pitch, rather than using a "mask resonance" technique. John Lennon did the same thing but his voice was much sweeter naturally than EC's voice. With Elvis there is a rasp to it, almost like a muted trumpet, when he sings in the upper range. (The fact that his dad was a trumpet player may have played a part in that as well.)
3. Near laryngitis.
Elvis' voice often seems like it's about to break down. The vocal cords don't always seem to be vibrating cleanly but instead cut in and out as though tissue is swollen. That is not at all what a smooth, trained singer would want to exploit.
Yet, by sheer force of emotion alone, he drives what seems like a very fragile voice to powerful heights, at times roaring into the microphone, not shouting but basically backing up that fragile voice with a ton of breath support.
So yeah...if you are coaching a classical singer you would say "don't do that", but those features are important parts of the Elvis Costello sound.



All comments from YouTube:

@nsilver61

Have never tired of this song. Sounds like nothing before it, and nothing since.

@spewey111

"The long arm of the law slides up the outskirts of town." Brilliant. And I love Steve's little piano flourish at the very end of the song.

@jeanbaumgartner4052

ELVIS Costello IsACOOL! 😎Cat 🐈 😻 🐈‍⬛ 😺 🐱 😸! 💯%!

@andrewgranger3370

His lyrical wordplay is amazing.

@yummyyum36719

Yup ending on the tritone...

@yummyyum36719

The thunder of Bruce's bass on this number. Sadly it is not EQ'd properly here.

@lindstrum3385

This wonderful chap never needs to write a song over 4 minutes. So much beauty in that time leaves one joyfully exhausted.

@yummyyum36719

You would get more thrill out of a 70 minute Elvis concert than a 3 hour Springsteen Concert, nothing against prime Bruce.... but nobody could destroy you emotionally quicker than this band at its best.

@groptimum

Incredible Elvis Costello tune. Amazing melodic, orchestrated song with these almost big band and jazz elements mixed in.

@yummyyum36719

Trying to come up with something to send to my opera singing wife that shows off the Attractions in their prime where Elvis' voice isn't too jarring.
This one could be the one.
It's a brilliant song.
Saw him do it live a number of times. But geez the bass track is really low on this.
On the vinyl they thundered on this tune.
Is that some sort of anti Bruce thing they've done or what??
All the old tracks seem to not have that booming bass.

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